Author photo of Jesuit Fr. William O'Neill

William O'Neill

Jesuit Fr. William O'Neill, Ph.D., is the director of immigration ethics at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University, where he is also a resident scholar at the Ignatian Center. He has written numerous books on Catholic social thought. 

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Protesters gather at a pro-immigrant rally on the campus of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services field office in Holtsville, New York, April 12, 2026. Demonstrators were protesting a proposed detention facility inside the field office that would be used to hold immigrants taken into custody by ICE officers. (OSV News/Gregory A. Shemitz)

On immigration, Americans must examine their conscience: Catholic tradition can help

Bishop Oscar Cantú and two ethicists write: "It is time for the consciences of Catholics and all citizens to examine policies of detention and deportation in light of the demands of love, truth, dignity and justice — and to act."

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